Candy for me?!

Yesterday was one of those days. You know those days? The ones where you just seem overloaded. As a mom, I feel this from time to time.

Is there enough time in the day? Dishes. Laundry. Cooking. Cleaning. Raising a precocious 1.5 year old.

Blogging has taken a bit of a back burning. I'm recipe testing on top of all the regular duties I carry. I'm also getting my blog ready for a move to WP and my webpage set up.

I'm working hard to get my webpage up so I can share with all of you more fun and exciting things! Personal Chef? You betcha! Cooking demos with the wonderful Mel Mason? That's right around the corner! I'm getting things done!

So, back to yesterday. As I walked through a store with my daughter I was feeling drained and overloaded. I'm sure we've all had this from time to time. So, I admit I made a poor choice! It's okay, right! As I noticed, after walking nearly the whole store, that my daughter had lost her water sippy cup I also ventured down the candy aisle.  As my daughter decided that sitting in the seat of the cart was not what she wanted, even being belted in! I passed by an old favorite, sour candies! As she twisted herself, somehow, around in said seat I grabbed a bag of candy. Just one. But, I was having one of those days so yes, I grabbed 3 more!

Woah! As I left the store, not having found her sippy cup, I realized what I had done. I bought 3 bags of sugar laced with too much processed junk to count!

I ate some on the way home...

...and when I got home!

I had a stomachache!

Then I felt lethargic.  Wow! I haven't eaten so much processed sugary foods in a very long time! Just to get that chemically induced sugary taste out of my mouth I ate a couple pickles. I know, weird, but when I eat sweets (which, strangely, I don't care for) I must have salt!

To make up for it, while making dinner, I couldn't stop taking fresh vegetables out of the fridge!

Tuesday night is our usual salad night. Salad, I made. As well as roasted brussel sprouts, roasted cauliflower, cucumber salad, and fresh garbanzo beans (thank you, pressure cooker!). I loaded up on veggies!

Salad, roasted brussel sprouts, roasted cauliflower, cucumber salad, corn on the cob (forgot to mention that!), and strawberries in the back as a dessert). Yum!

What do you eat when a sweet tooth hits? Generally I don't eat candy. Sometimes I eat my Jim Bites, loaded with protein and unrefined natural sweeteners (raisins, dates, agave nectar).

Last nights dinner included, as mentioned, brussel sprouts. To be honest, I've never liked those green little cabbage heads. I guess we also ate them after they had been frozen or canned. Last night was the first time I've had them fresh.  Surprisingly, they were quite tasty!

Brussel Sprouts

1-2 lbs brussel sprouts, fresh, cut the brown ends off
2 Tablespoons cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cloves of garlic, pressed

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil (with foil, spray lightly with cooking spray).  Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes. Turn often so they don't burn. They will brown.

Brussel Sprouts

Even the hubby, who all this time hated brussel sprouts as well, like them. We were quite impressed!

Ever have one of those days? Decisions to buy candy or other things you wouldn't normally eat?

We all have them!

Cheers and happy *healthy* eating!

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Chickpea Salad Sandwich, fries and "rabbit food."

For some, summer is coming to an end. However, I believe here in Arizona, it may never come to an end. This whole summer I've been working on eating foods that I don't have to cook in the oven or on the stove. I still used both during the summer, but try to limit the use. It's just too hot!

Last week for the first time in a long time I did not create a menu. I had been so busy dealing with my little one who has decided to start her “terrible twos” early. My only thought was to get to the grocery store before nap time and get whatever we needed for whatever I could make up on the fly. I did well, actually. But, I certainly don't recommend not making a menu!

One night I was tired, of course, and not really feeling up to cooking. It happens right? I know that both my little one and BK like chickpeas so I decided to create a chickpea salad. Something we could eat on toasted bread or in a wrap. I did take out my mini convection oven to make curly fries though. The mini convection oven is very useful in the summertime, it doesn't heat up the house. As a vegetable, I served up what we call “rabbit food." Rabbit food, for us, is a mixture of raw fresh veggies. Carrots, celery, cucumber, radish, sugar snap peas, whatever you have on hand. No cooking involved, super simple, and the kids love it.

What would be your favorite edition to your own “rabbit food?”

Chickpea salad

Ingredients:
2 14 ounce cans garbanzo beans
4 tablespoons black olives, minced
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoons sage
1/4 teaspoons oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:
Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Place all ingredients, except salt, pepper and oil, in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, mash the beans. You don't want hummus just lightly smashed beans. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Add approximately 1/2 tablespoons of the oil and mix well.

Serve on toasted bread with a vegan mayonnaise* and enjoy. I added spinach to mine, but I love spinach. Kale would be great to.

* I found this salad can be a little dry, adding the vegan mayonnaise to the bread makes it perfect.

Yum!

GF option: Use GF bread or wrap.

This was a super simple dinner that we all loved! Kid-friendly, mom friendly! So tasty!

Cheers and happy eating!

School/Work Lunch Ideas. GF/Vegan

For us school starts early this year. Last week, actually. As a parent what is an item you may have on your mind?

What to pack for school lunches!  Yep, that's on my mind. Not only for the BK but for the little one as well.

Is it simple to make a vegan lunch for kids? Sure is! How bout gluten free? I'm new to learning about gluten free items so it has been a bit of a challenge. Once I get the hang of it though, easy!

A friend of mine, Jimmy, decided about a year ago to make a big change in his life. As someone who had been struggling with weight for many years he knew he had to do something to lower his weight and improve his health. Cycling alone wasn't doing it. He knew he needed to eat better. Jimmy added ViSalus to his daily regimen. What is ViSalus you ask? It's a 90 day challenge to weight loss and health. Now, the shakes are not vegan. They do contain whey protein. I myself do not drink these shakes but I do promote health and I've seen what this has done for my friend. This is why I'm sharing, especially for my non-vegan readers. :)  In 90 days Jimmy lost 40 lbs and 6.5 inches off his waist. This was a year ago. Now, well let's just say he's rockin' the abs and all that goes with it! He's probably healthier than he's ever been!

He told me a few days ago that he and his family had decided to go gluten free and casein free. To hear this made me smile! Casein, the protein found in milk and cheese as well as processed foods, causes a broad spectrum of adverse affects in the body. His daughter is of school age so who better to help out right? A friend with a school aged child. One who has decided the GF/CF diet is best for not only himself but for his family.

I thought I'd include some ideas for lunches. Not only for the kiddos but for adults who pack a lunch as well.

First of all, gluten free. What is gluten? Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed with wheat, barley and rye. Now days there are so many gluten free options available. Even restaurants offer gluten free items on their menus.  Bob's Red Mill is a producer of GF products, making baking so much easier! Here's a link to their GF products, here.  During my research I also found a rather comprehensive GF list. Find the link, here.

When I was a kid I generally had a sandwich of sorts in my lunch, an apple or other fruit, and a bag of chips. I also carried a bottle of water or juice. For the little one we send her with almond milk.

Good beverages to pack in a kids lunch:

• Almond milk (provided you have access to a refrigerator or you can pack with a couple ice packs.)
• Bottled water is always an excellent choice
• Coconut Water is very hydrating and a great choice as well
• Homemade juice (I'm a huge fan of homemade rather than store bought)
• I'm not a fan of lot's of sugar but seeing as I have a teenager in the house who insists on soda at lunch (something he would just buy on his own anyway) I get him Hansen's Rootbeer. Still sugar but no caffeine and better than the countless overly processed name brands. Luckily the kid loves water and carrot juice too! :)

What I often make for the little one. Juice.
6 carrots
1 apple
1 orange
1 cup spinach
a dash of agave nectar

Juice all the fruit/veggies in a juicer. Mix in the agave once everything is juiced. This makes enough to last her 2-3 days but she's still quite small. Simple juice with great vitamins.

The snack portion of a lunch can be a bit tricking. I know it's easy to buy the processed items from your grocery store but try and avoid that. Or look for items with the least amount of processed items. Your big brands are often full of not so good ingredients.

Snacks for kids lunches and yours:

• Veggies! Each Sunday, to make things easier, I bag up carrots, celery and snap peas into individual bags. This way they are ready to grab for each school lunch or for each lunch for the hubby. In his bag he likes a large handful of parsley to munch on too. 
• Edamame! My little one loves shelled edamame. This too can be prepared on Sundays and bagged individually for the week. It's a great source of protein and most kids love it! 
• Good Ole' Ants on a log. Why not, right? Peanut butter (GF and full of protein) and celery. Who doesn't love celery! Add some sweetness with raisins and it's so tasty, yet so simple.
• Nuts are great for everyone! A handful a day is a great health benefit. I love raw almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds. Trust me if you haven't tried them raw do so, tasty! Again, you can pack these babies up each Sunday as well. 
• Crackers. I've found some great GF varieties. Almond or pecan nut thins. I found them at my local Sprouts Market. These are heavenly! 
• Air popped popcorn. Great snack. High in antioxidants. 

• Protein bites! I made up some tasty protein bites just for Jimmy and his family. But, I'm going to share the recipe with you all. I call them Jim Bites. A little play on words really because they'd be a great snack before hitting the gym. Great protein source!
• Chickpeas. These little beans are full of protein as well as fiber. This helps prevent a spike in blood sugar levels! Try Dreena Burtons Jerk Chickpeas or Tamari Roasted Chickpeas. Both are great cold.

Jerk Chickpeas. Great cold too!

Jim Bites:
½ cup raw almonds
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup pitted dates
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup almond butter
1 tablespoon chia seeds (black or white)
1/4 cup raisins
2 Tablespoons dark chocolate chips (vegan)
1 tablespoon agave nectar (optional, see note)
Place almonds, hemp seeds, salt and oats in a food processor. Process, it will become a flour like consistency. Add the dates, vanilla, almond butter and agave nectar. Once this gets crumbly add the chocolate chips, pulse until it starts to ball up and stick to the bland. This may take a couple of minutes. When done, scoop up into small balls and place in refrigerator for an hour. Enjoy.

Fruit! Fruit is a simple addition to your lunch. Berries are an excellent source of antioxidants so those are always a great choice. Grapes, kiwi, bananas, melons, pineapple. It's all great. I like to cut up an orange for the little one and always include grapes. BK loves berries!

Note** I find when I eat these little guys I prefer them to be less sweet which is why the agave nectar is optional. If you want a little more sweet feel free to add this ingredient.

Main course:

• For the kiddos peanut butter sandwiches seem to be a favorite. There are plenty of GF breads available today too. Trader Joe's have several varieties. Jams and jellies I'm a little concerned about only because the store bought varieties are full of sugar. Making your own though can be quite simple.
• Eggless salad (again for this you will need a cold pack or access to a refrigerator). Make this into a GF wrap, either with GF tortillas or romaine lettuce. Both are quite tasty!

Eggless Salad:
1 package, 14 oz, extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids
2 stalks celery, minced
1 small carrot, minced
1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 tablespoon stone ground mustard
2 tablespoons dill relish
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon yellow curry
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon vegenaise (vegan mayonnaise)
Pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Wrap the tofu in two paper towels and drain between two plates. Place something heavy on top of the top plate. Drain, 10-15 minutes
Crumble the tofu into a large mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Let sit in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Mix again and add pepper as needed.

• I'm a huge fan of hummus as is my little one. BK likes jalapeno flavored hummus. Pack some in a container with a baggie of cut up pieces of pita bread (whole wheat or GF). You could also eat the hummus with all the yummy veggies you packed. Great source of protein and fiber.
• For us grownups salads are always good and easy to pack up. Each Tuesday night (I have so much on my plate Sundays so Tuesday it is) I make a rather large salad. That is our dinner Tuesday night and for the rest of the week we have salads at lunch. Add chickpeas, black olives, hemp seeds, and marinated artichokes to the every day veggies and you've got yourself a meal. Little one's may like this but it really depends on your little one. I pack simple balsamic vinegar as my dressing. Yum!

Oh yes, it's a big ole salad! Trash bowl next to it (the only good idea I got from Rachael Ray!)

• My little one loves these pouches of pureed veggies (for the little ones for sure). Since she often turns her nose up at the greens I try to serve her this is the best way to get them. They are made by Plum Organics and all they contain is the veggie/fruit ingredients necessary. She LOVES these things! It's not a meal replacer but great to bring along to go with lunch.

Pack variety in your lunch, in the kiddos lunch, and everyone will be happy. Make things easier for yourself by preparing and bagging things only once per week. Don't try and do it each evening. The only things I put together each evening for the little one is her soy yogurt and fruit. Her milk as well. Takes less than five minutes and I'm done packing her lunch. I have containers just for her, labelled with her name to make things even easier.

A great place to get labels that are safe in the dishwasher AND washing machine is NameBubbles. i love this place! I get the daycare package which has several labels in different shapes and sizes. My daughter is nearly 1.5 years old now and I just ordered my second set. They truly last a long time! Wash after wash. I label clothing, containers, bags, jackets, sippy cups, whatever she needs to bring to school. Check them out.

I hope this makes packing lunches a little easier for you all. Let me know what your favorite items to pack are. Would love to add to the list for everyone.

Cheers and happy eating!

Menu plan week of July 29-August 4

This weeks menu. Oh boy, I swear I already blogged this, last Thursday! That is until the hubby told me I hadn't blogged since Monday! I have had another very busy week.

Again this week, I'm keeping with the theme of using the oven less. It's still quite warm outside although the summer monsoons have hit which is wonderful. I do love the smell of fresh rain in the desert! My little one likes to stand under our porch and reach out into the water falling from the roof top. It's one of her favorite things to do.

I'm working on photos with the hubby's fancy camera mostly because the pictures come out so lovely but also because my little one broke my phone so no more photos from there. Baby spit kills! Any fancy camera picture suggestions are always greatly appreciated. I'm learning. :) 

Here's the menu!

Sunday: July 29 
I've finally made up my own eggless salad sandwich recipe. With the right bread or wrap it's GF! I'll be posting the recipe soon. I'm working on a blog for a friend of mine who's looking to eat more GF. I'm working on some recipes for him and his family. Lunch time friendly, some of them. This will be one of the recipes.

Monday: July 30 
Indian Summer Sucotash with baked tofu. I found this good looking recipe in Vegetarian Times. Can't wait to try it.

Tuesday: July 31
Big Ole' Salad night! Yum!!

Wednesday: August 1 
Nachos!! Ultimate Nachos! We will be making this with SmartMeat for the BK and a more of a lentil nacho filling for us. With all the toppings of course! I always make VegVeeta from Dreena Burton, goes wonderfully!

Thursday: August 2 
Chickenless wraps. Trader Joe's has an awesome "chicken" nugget that we all actually like. Makes for an easy wrap night. We will be grilling red potatoes and corn on the cob. 

Friday: August 3
No cook Friday night. What will you be having?

Saturday: August 4
Squash, Chickpea, and red lentil stew. Great thing about this fabulous stew, I can throw it in the crockpot in the morning. No need to heat up the house and it basically cooks itself! 

Cheers and happy eating!

Menu Plan: July 23 - July 28.

I have to admit, we ate out a lot last week. The hubby did make a wonderful soup on Monday night but since then it's been mostly eating food from restaurants. We don't do this often!

I was sick all week as was the little one. We both caught a virus, cold, mine turned into a sinus infection and as of right now I'm not sure what's going on with hers. I'm taking her to the doctor this afternoon to have them listen to her lungs and check her ears, poor girl.

So, eating out all the time. I must say, I don't really like it. I find I don't feel as well, even when eating healthfully, and I'm certainly not as regular! Do you find that? I know, TMI. But, it's true! I don't regulate what we eat so we lack in the fiber area. It's hard to find good vegan foods outside the home around here. We found what was simple, easy for me who had no energy to cook.

This week as we continue to recover I will be cooking again. I need this! The little one needs it! We need good nutritious food to help us feel better.

Sunday: July 22
Pizza Night! I like to throw whatever ingredients I have on had on my pizza.
Since it's already Monday here is what we ate last night.

Pizza (we cheated and bought fresh pizza dough from Sunflower Market. But, it's super easy to make your own!)
I had lot's of fresh veggies in the fridge. We grilled up some eggplant for the pizza. I marinaded for a bit in a touch of oil, salt, pepper, basil and oregano.
I covered the dough with marinara sauce (you can use anything really) then a mixture of vegetables I marinaded in a little oil, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, and basil. Veg: broccoli, tomato, red bell pepper, artichokes, and portobello mushrooms. I topped all that with black olives. Baked at 450 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, checking often for doneness.
No cheese needed!

Yummy pizza!

Monday: July 23
Grilled veggies (mixture: squash, zucchini, peppers, corn) over a plate of pasta in a light white wine sauce. This will be my own making so I'll let you know how it turns out.

Tuesday: July 24
Big Ole Salad night! Still loves these! Especially in the hot summer.

Wednesday: July 25
Sloppy Joe's with tater tots and green beans.  I will be making this batch of Sloppy Joe's with TVP. I've posted a recipe before for Lentil Sloppy J's, check those out too.

Thursday: July 26
Spaghetti with "meat"balls. Always a favorite with the BK. It's simple too. I often add artichokes and black olives to my sauce. Gives more depth. For the little one, I make a vegetable pasta (it's smaller and easier to eat), she loves it. We'll have salad as a side.

Friday: July 27
No cook Friday night!

What are you having for Friday night dinner?

Saturday: July 28
Grilled portobello burgers with black beans and roasted cauliflower. Cauliflower is in season right now and so versatile. I just love it!

If you've tried any of my recipes I'd love to hear your feedback! Drop me a line or comment below.  Thanks!

Cheers and happy eating!

Portobello Stack with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

I've been working on grilling more foods this summer. Cooking in the house is just way too hot! One of the foods that's super easy and super yummy to grill is portobello mushrooms.


Me and mushrooms, well, we're just now developing our friendship. Before switching to a plant-based lifestyle mushrooms rarely graced my plate. Honestly. I was no fan! But, I had my first grilled portobello mushroom burger sometime back in January and found a love I never knew. A love for mushrooms!


Yum!


Fast forward to today. I still have a love for those incredibly meaty yummy portobellos but I haven't done much besides a burger or adding it to my tofu scramble. So, that got me thinking. What else can I do with this wonderfully tasty food?


Portobello Stack. Yes, it's similar to a grilled portobello burger but as the hubby put it, it's "fancy food."

Portobello Stack

Yes, I made fancy food. Isn't that fun sometimes?


One little fact I love about mushrooms is the amount of potassium in one portobello. It's more than a banana! Not sure if I've shared this before but I do not like bananas! Not one bit. It just won't happen. Any other way to get potassium is good for me!


Along with the portobello stack I made raw Cauliflower Risotto out of Eat Raw Eat Well by Doug McNish. I'm dabbling with raw foods and this one was fantastic! Loved it! The texture was surprisingly risotto like and the flavor, nutty (cashews), was superb. I do highly recommend this book to anyone looking to add raw foods to their diets.

The raw Cauliflower Risotto was excellent!

Any raw food favorites for you?


Portobello Stack with a Roasted Red Pepper Coulis


Ingredients:


4 portobello mushroom caps
2 red bell peppers
1 medium purple onion
Vegan cheese slices, cheddar or provolone
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh tomato slices


Marinade:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 large clove of garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste, season each portobello


Roasted Red Pepper Coulis:
3 red bell peppers
3 Tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 large clove of garlic
10-12 fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste


Preparation:
Remove the stem and black gills from the mushroom. I like to remove the black gills because they will often leach onto other cooked items.  Mix all the marinade ingredients (season each portobello with salt and pepper, add more to marinade to taste) in a large shallow bowl. Place the mushrooms in the marinade and toss to coat all sides of the mushroom. Marinade for 30 minutes tossing occasionally to ensure good marinade coverage.


As your mushrooms are marinading turn your oven to broil. Place the red bell peppers on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Broil all sides of the red bell peppers until blackened. You will need to watch carefully and flip the peppers frequently. This should take about 10-20 minutes. Keep a careful watch!  Once the peppers are blackened remove them from the oven and place them in a Ziploc bag to cool. Once cooled enough to handle remove the stem, seeds, and blackened skins.




Place all (except the salt and pepper) Coulis ingredients in a food processor. Process until smoothed. Season with salt and pepper to tast.

Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

Heat your grill. Once heated grill the mushrooms until heated through, about 5 minutes per side. At the same time you are grilling the mushrooms grill up the other veggies (red peppers and purple onion) by adding them to a vegetable grill pan, grill until softened and slightly blackened, about 8-10 minutes.




To assemble:
Lay a portobello down, underside facing up, add a layer of peppers, onions, tomatoes, then basil and cheese. Add some Roasted Red Pepper Coulis and top with another portobello. Enjoy with a fork, it could get a tad messy.

Simple Goodness

Cheers and happy eating!

How to be vegan: A newbies perspective

Going vegan! Who's going vegan? I am? Really? Are you sure? 


Oh how I thought I was being incredibly crazy!  I thought the fact that the hubby mentioned first meant something infiltrated our water system affecting our brains!!  


It's been 6 months! 


And, now? Nope, I don't think we are crazy!  We are so very happy with our choice!


Seriously!


Have you thought about the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle? Does it intimidate you just a bit? It did for me, actually.  I remember the very first week we didn't eat any meat or dairy I thought I would eat the house! I was SO hungry! I'd wake up in the middle of the night starving! Famished! Ready to eat the cats as they lie sleeping on my bed! Anything! I was so hungry! 


Think about the times you eat Chinese food, within the hour you are hungry again. It's as if you didn't eat any dinner, right? That's how I felt! 


Then, I thought, what was I missing when eating a big plate of Chinese food? Protein. I was missing protein. I generally ordered a plate full of veggies in some sort of sauce over a bed of white rice. Of course I was hungry an hour later. That didn't have the amount of protein I was used to as I sat down to a big steak! 


Just like everyone else, we vegans need complete protein to get all our essential amino acids. We don't want to fall prey to the negative protein balance now do we? That's starvation and I love food so that is NOT an option.


According to the USDA, a man age 40 weighing 160 pounds needs 56 g of protein per day. A woman, weighing 140 pounds age 40 needs 46 g of protein per day. That's about 0.36 g of protein for every pound of body weight.


Protein needs to very based on age, size, health, physical activity, body weight, body type and for those pregnant or nursing.


When I speak of protein, I speak of a complete protein, all essential amino acids needed. There are some plant-based foods that carry all essential amino acids. Soy is one of them as is quinoa. It was once believed that vegetarians and vegans could possibly develop a protein deficiency if they didn't get all the essential amino acids that they needed within one meal. But, when we eat, our body stores amino acids in something like a storage bank, we use what we need when we need it. So, it's not a necessity to get all 8 amino acids in one sitting. As long as you eat a variety of foods throughout the day you will get all of the essential amino acids that you need. So, don't go eat a block of tofu. It's just gross.


Okay, so now that I have protein in my system I don't wake up wanting to eat everything in sight in the middle of the night. It took about a week and I was used to being "vegan." Ah! Much better!


What is vegan?


Vegan has so many different definitions. Some are vegan based on ethical reasons, some for environmental reasons, some for health reasons. There are vegans that combine all of them as well. It's up to you to decide what is best for you. I don't judge how vegan other people are as I only wish that people don't judge me.


Being vegan, for myself, is mostly about health. I am more aware of items that I purchase, trying to purchase cruelty free items,  but I'm not perfect. And, because I am not rich (although I wish that I were!) I still own a variety of leather shoes. Does this make me a bad vegan? To some, it may. For me, I certainly don't want to waste what I already own. But, I will be more aware next time I buy a pair of shoes.


I was definitely pretty nervous when I decided to stop eating meat and dairy. I didn't know what to do. I was trained in a French culinary school, I cooked with meat and butter, lots of it. That's when I decided to start this blog. And then I found twitter, I know, that sounds so weird, right? But really I couldn't have done it without all my awesome vegan Twitter friends.


Twitter is where I met Dreena Burton. I must say, Twitter and blogging are like high school. You want to fit in, you want to be the cool kid, and you want to be noticed. Dreena was like my high school crush, in a way. She's the cool kid and I wanted her to notice me. She was the first that gave me the advice to keep on tweeting and keep on blogging. Then, one day she followed me on twitter. I almost peed my pants. Seriously! The cool kid followed me! But, to be serious Dreena is an amazing vegan cookbook author. I ordered her book, Let Them Eat Vegan, off of Amazon and waited, patiently, for it to arrive. What I love about Dreena's book,  is the simplicity of all the recipes, they use of whole foods, and all of the real life suggestions to make things just a little bit easier. Read my view review here. Anyway, I don't think I could've been vegan very long without Let Them Eat Vegan. I thought being vegan meant lots and lots of fake meats. I am not a huge fan of fake meats! Being vegan absolutely does not mean you need to stuff your faces with the fake stuff!


I have met many supportive people on Twitter, Facebook, and around town. Support is key.


I met another friend on twitter, Janae Wise,  mother of 4, vegan, gluten-free, fitness instructor, and all around wonderful woman. She is constantly encouraging my blogging by reminding me that I am new. All bloggers have to start somewhere and I can't be perfect or the best right off the bat. She is so right. She is very encouraging and has kept me going. One day I strive to be a wonderful picture taker, blogger, and inspiration like she has shown to be herself.


Of course, I have a good friend that lives nearby that welcomes all my questions no matter how silly.  Mel Mason,  My holistic health coach, has been a saint. Without her encouragement, dedication, and willingness to listen and help without judgment I would not have made it as far as I have.


How do you go vegan or vegetarian you ask? Yes, it will take a little dedication, practice, and time. But, it is all worth it. Your heart, health, and happiness will thank you.


I am a lover of lists. I make lists for what needs to be done during the day, what I need to pack for trips, what food I'm going to make during the week, and a list of items I need to buy at the grocery store. This makes the process that much easier.


So, here are a couple of lists. What I've learned, what's in my pantry, what's in my refrigerator, and some of my favorite vegan staples and some of yours.


A couple of things that I've learned in the past 6 months:
Have support: family, friends, Twitter, Facebook
Eat plenty of protein
Enjoy your food
Have a well-stocked pantry
Plan your meals
Ask questions, of me, of  dietitians, nutritionists, healthcare providers, friends
Talk to people
Don't give up


Staples I like to keep in my pantry:
Rice, brown and white. Forbidden rice as well.
Canned tomatoes
Quinoa
Beans, all varieties (kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, any bean!). Dried and canned
Vegetable stock
Better than bullion vegetable base
Green chilies, Trader Joe's has the best!
Black olives
Artichoke hearts
Sun-dried tomatoes
Pitted dates
Raisins
Spelt flour
Chia seeds, great information on Chia seeds found here
Raw cashews, other raw nuts and seeds
Raw sugar
Agave Nectar
Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids
Popcorn kernels

One of my favorites! Popcorn!

Vegetables and fruit I always have on hand:
Kale
Spinach
Mushrooms
Carrots
Celery
Lettuce, Romain
Radishes
Sugar snap peas
Purple cabbage
Oranges
Apples
Bananas
Grapes
Cucumber
Lemon and limes
Onions, red and yellow
Mini bell peppers
Avocados

Apples, Oranges, lemons!

Items I like to have on hand, in my fridge:
Almond milk or other plant-based milks
Hummus, different varieties
Hemp seeds
Nondairy plain yogurt
Salsa
Veganaise
Flax seed oil
Hemp seed oil
Maple syrup
Tofu, I know tofu can be scary! But, give it a try! There are so many ways to use it and love it!


The first time you go grocery shopping it may cost you a little bit more than your usual grocery trip. But, this is just to stock your shelves with all your staples. Once you get the hang of it, shopping and cost will be easy and low. I tend to shop weekly because all that produce barely fits in my refrigerator each week. If I shopped bi-weekly there would be no way. I even created extra space, a sort of pantry, in my laundry room to make room for all the goodness I buy.

Raw Cashews

My favorite staples:
Quinoa
Rice
Kale
Raw cashews
Braggs Liquid Amino Acids
Carrots, celery, onion (I lump these together because they often go together in soups and such)
Tofu
Hemp seeds
Chia seeds

Chia Seeds

I asked of you some of your favorite staples in your vegan kitchen:
Quinoa of course was one of them. Tofu in tempeh, kale and other leafy greens, nutritional yeast, beans, raw cashews, and flax oil.


 Do you have any others to add to my list?


I believe a good diet, is one that's not a diet at all. More of a lifestyle. You eat healthy because you want to be healthy. You are what you eat, as they say. Going vegan can be intimidating, difficult, expensive. But, as with any new thing this is only the beginning. Once you're in, you're in. Less difficult, less intimidating, and less expensive. I've been at this for 6 months and I sometimes feel like I've been doing it my whole life. I'm still learning how to cook, how to use items I've never heard of, and what substitutes I need to use for certain things. But I love the learning, the experimenting, and the vegan world that I've fallen into. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful.


Go out, give it a try, experiment, have fun with it! If you have questions drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you. I'm here to be supportive. 


Blogging, vegan, it's all new to me but I'm here to stay.


Cheers and happy eating!


Playlist:
Combichrist - Caliber:Death
Peter Murphy - Cuts You Up
The Faint - Fish in a Womb
Justin Timberlake - Rock Your Body
Accersory - Matrix